One such method is to make green roofs which is a type of green infrastructure. A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. The number of layers may vary depending on the reason they are installed.
Green roofs serve several purposes for a building but the major ones include, the absorption of rainwater, providing insulation, providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape, lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect.
The most important of all these functions is to reduce storm water overflow i.e. when there are heavy storms the city sewage treatment plant could not treat all of the waste so it overflows. This overflow cause water pollution when it is released into the ocean which is detrimental to oceanic ecosystems as well as the people who obtain their food from that surrounding areas.
Green roofs have the capability to hold large quantities of rain water depending on the area of the roof. This starts a chain reaction such as, reducing stress on the sewage system, lowering the temperature in the summer and increases it in the winter due to the evaporating effect of the water present in the roof layers thereby reducing the cost of central heating and cooling systems. Furthermore, these roofs help improve the air quality and the aesthetics of the building, which in turn reduces the stress level of the people working or living in it.
Initially green roofs are quite expensive to install, however, in the long run the cost is not so great compared to the benefits it yields. Therefore, the government and private owners should focus on green infrastructures such as green roofs to improve the quality of urban life.
